Good news my developing friends, Windows Phone 7 is now a platform that anyone can develop for, invite or not. Up until today, if you tried to submit an application to the Windows Phone 7 marketplace it was impossible without Microsoft pre-approval.
Now anyone willing to pay the $99 registration fee can sign up as a developer for the platform, opening the phones to the world, something will please both users and developers alike.
According to NeoWin, once an application has been submitted it will take Microsoft between three and five days to process it and then have it published. With the launch of the phones in the US in just four days, it seems reasonable that it will not be until after the first few days of the phone being available here that we will see a wave of new applications for the handsets.
If you are a developer, you can head over to App Hub to get more details for the development process. Oh, and if you are a student, the fee is waived, so you can develop for free. Below is the note that Microsoft sent out announcing the opening of the platform:
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